Farina

Farina is a historic ghost town in the Far North of South Australia, located on the Oodnadatta Track about 26 kilometres south of Marree. Established in 1878 as Government Gums and renamed Farina in 1882, it was once a thriving railway town and farming settlement. Today it consists of stabilized stone ruins, former railway infrastructure and a restored underground bakery, managed by volunteers as an open-air heritage site illustrating outback settlement history.

Visitors can expect an open, arid outback landscape with stabilized ruins of stone buildings including the former hotel, post office, church, police station and railway station. The site is spread over a flat gibber plain with interpretive signs marking building footprints. The restored underground Farina Bakery operates seasonally, and a volunteer-run campsite is available. Visitors can walk among ruins, view railway remnants and artefacts, and explore at their own pace or on occasional guided tours.

Founded in 1878 as Government Gums to service surrounding pastoral and agricultural settlement, renamed Farina in 1882. Became the railhead of the Central Australia Railway in 1882 and a service centre for wheat farming attempts. Decline followed railway extension to Marree in 1884, repeated droughts and closure of the railway. Abandoned by the 1960s, now preserved as ruins illustrating late 19th-century outback settlement and railway history.

Represents outback pioneering heritage and the challenges of farming in arid Australia. Maintained by the Farina Restoration Group volunteers since 2009, the site preserves European settlement history and serves as a cultural stop on the Oodnadatta Track for visitors learning about South Australia's pastoral and railway heritage.